Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,453
- 4,514
For me anyway, there is a familiar pattern, be it deer, antelope, bear or elk:
Dark. Awake, kind of. Coffee. Food. More coffee.
Maybe a ride in the Jeep. Maybe not.
Hike. Hike more. Uphill. Almost always uphill.
Sweat. Sweat more. Sweat a lot. Resolve to be in better shape next year.
Sweat a bit more.
Reach glassing destination. Still dark. Cold. Sweat freezes.
Wait. Wait. Sun rises so slowly while I'm frozen. Light, sort of. On the glass, looking, looking, looking. Deciding what is brush, and what might be game. Continue.
Full light. Maybe a bit warmer? Glassing more. Listening intently. Looking for any sign of game.
Snoring mid-morning. Wake myself from unplanned nap. This is common.
Glass more, quickly, 'cause something might have changed while I was asleep!
Lunch in the field. Sandwich. Coffee?
Nap. Deliberate this time.
Decide this area won't work for the afternoon hunt. Sun will be wrong. Wind will be wrong. Game movement likely to be wrong.
Hike. Hike more. Sweat more. Down into the canyon, back up the other side. New places to glass. New spot to rest, watch. Nap.
Shadows grow long. Temp cools again. Alert. Knowing game may be moving anytime now.
Dusk. Glassing even more intently. Last light.
Full dark. Headlamp on, hike out. Try not to sweat this time.
Back to tent, cabin, wherever I'm staying. Dinner. One beer. Maybe two. Pack lunch for the next day.
Repeat until successful, or the hunt ends. Day after day. Don't give up.
Occasionally, sometime during the hunt, the rifle speaks. Usually only once. Elation. Now the work really begins. Dang, it's a long way back to the tent, cabin, Jeep... How did that get to be uphill? I thought we went uphill to get here? Sigh. Somehow it's uphill. The pack is heavy, warm against my back with fresh meat.
Satisfied exhaustion.
Dearly love to hunt.
Dark. Awake, kind of. Coffee. Food. More coffee.
Maybe a ride in the Jeep. Maybe not.
Hike. Hike more. Uphill. Almost always uphill.
Sweat. Sweat more. Sweat a lot. Resolve to be in better shape next year.
Sweat a bit more.
Reach glassing destination. Still dark. Cold. Sweat freezes.
Wait. Wait. Sun rises so slowly while I'm frozen. Light, sort of. On the glass, looking, looking, looking. Deciding what is brush, and what might be game. Continue.
Full light. Maybe a bit warmer? Glassing more. Listening intently. Looking for any sign of game.
Snoring mid-morning. Wake myself from unplanned nap. This is common.
Glass more, quickly, 'cause something might have changed while I was asleep!
Lunch in the field. Sandwich. Coffee?
Nap. Deliberate this time.
Decide this area won't work for the afternoon hunt. Sun will be wrong. Wind will be wrong. Game movement likely to be wrong.
Hike. Hike more. Sweat more. Down into the canyon, back up the other side. New places to glass. New spot to rest, watch. Nap.
Shadows grow long. Temp cools again. Alert. Knowing game may be moving anytime now.
Dusk. Glassing even more intently. Last light.
Full dark. Headlamp on, hike out. Try not to sweat this time.
Back to tent, cabin, wherever I'm staying. Dinner. One beer. Maybe two. Pack lunch for the next day.
Repeat until successful, or the hunt ends. Day after day. Don't give up.
Occasionally, sometime during the hunt, the rifle speaks. Usually only once. Elation. Now the work really begins. Dang, it's a long way back to the tent, cabin, Jeep... How did that get to be uphill? I thought we went uphill to get here? Sigh. Somehow it's uphill. The pack is heavy, warm against my back with fresh meat.
Satisfied exhaustion.
Dearly love to hunt.